DEPENDENCIES OF PROCESSES’ CAPABILITY LEVELS

Abstract

Staged and continuous representations of process capability maturity models have different architecture and focus. Staged representation includes a straightforward process improvement path by defining certain key process areas. Continuous representation does not imply a defined order of processes for the process improvement. Conven-tional approach to the software process improvement path establishment is based on software process assessment and processes capability profile gained as input for improvement informal decision-making. This work introduces new approach to definition of software process improvement skeleton based on hierarchy of dependencies of capability le-vels of processes on other processes’ capability. The approach has been applied for the capability level 2 in ISO/IEC 15504 model: the dependencies between process capability level 2 and supporting/organizational processes have been analyzed and the processes and practices that must exist to achieve capability level 2 of Primary life cycle processes have been determined.